girl's get-together

Last week, I traveled to Chicago with some friends to spend time in the Windy City shopping, sight-seeing & eating some great food.  I also experienced my first food tour, which was fabulous and I highly recommend if you are spending time in Chicago with a group of friends or couples.  It allowed us to walk around via a tour guide and sample some great "hole-in-the wall" type places. 

Thanks ladies for taking the time to arrange for sitters, work schedules & thank you husbands for allowing us moms to spend some time together!  I am blessed by your friendship!

 

we started off our road trip right...with a Starbucks, of course!

the girl's~Jolynn, Tami, Heidi, myself, Ashley & Kendra

 

our first stop on our food tour was Pizano's Pizza...very yummy!

 

deep dish & thin crust

 

we then toured the beautiful Palmer House Hilton...the first hotel to have electric lights, elevators & telephones in every room

we sampled a brownie there while admiring the beautiful $160/plate banquet hall and trying not to spill crumbs :)

next we did some more walking & headed to Millennium Park where we saw the murals & "the bean"

after sweating off our brownie & pizza, we headed to the old Chicago Public Library now called the Cultural Center.  In all my times in downown Chicago, I'd never been to this building and it was a jewel! 

While our food guide didn't know too much about it, I'm anxious to try their free tours sometime!

after the Cultural Center, we headed to Gold Coast Hot Dogs for a Chicago style hot dog: vienna beef hot dog, pickle, sweet relish, onion, mustard, tomato & hot pepper~one is NOT to ask for ketchup! [no picture of this site]

next up was Fannie May, where we got to sample some of their Pixie ice cream and their artisan collection candies...both yummy!

next up, a little hole-in-the-wall place called Heaven on Seven that served us some spicy gumbo...it was really good!  Known for having authentic Cajun food & over 1300 sauces in their one restaurant, it was quite the experience!

next up, a cupcake boutique~where we sampled a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting-yum!

and they also gave the birthday girl (ME!) a free birthday cupcake to take home-so fun!

last stop was the oldest restaurant in Chicago, Berghoff's~a German pub where we sampled bratwurst & potato salad...while I'm a pizza girl with a sweet tooth at heart, I do think this stop was my favorite-it was an extremely good brat!

our cozy welcome & view from our hotel room at Hilton Chicago

Tami being cute only mere minutes before...

falling asleep :)

we shopped on Michigan Ave. on Friday

a personal favorite~GAP

before meeting up with 3.5 of the cutest people on the Magnificent Mile as Alesa and G & E joined us for the morning & lunch at Corner Bakery...aren't they darling?!